Inaugural Lingenfelter Performance Nationals

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Mark Carlyle was the talk of the event, thanks to his stunning 7.09-second pass at 212 mph. Carlyle's Atomic Orange '07 Z06 still runs the factory-style IRS. Amazing.

It was difficult to decide what was more spectacular at the first-ever Lingenfelter Performance Nationals: the blistering performance of GM engineer Dave Michaels, who ran away with the autocross title while piloting a Thomson Automotive–prepared Grand Sport, or the mind-warping 7.09-second elapsed time laid down by Mark Carlyle in his IRS-suspended, turbocharged Z06. Either way, the enthusiasts in attendance were treated to a show—and history.

The event, held at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio, was officially a thank-you to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering's customers, as well as a qualifying event for the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. It was also a respectful homage to the late John Lingenfelter, the drag racer and engine builder who founded the company that is now owned by distant relative Ken Lingenfelter—a detail that is truly more coincidental than familial.

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There was also technically a car show during the event, but some nasty weather that blew through ahead of and during the weekend conspired against it. Then again, the storm front brought with it some chilly air and a strong westerly tailwind, which favored every competitor whose front wheels tickled the staging beams—none more so than Mark Carlyle.

We caught up with Carlyle and his crew as they busied themselves preparing the 7-second “street” car on opening day. The Ohio-based racer had already run a personal-best trap speed of 209.88 mph during time trials, and he was looking to eclipse his best e.t. of 7.22, the quickest for an IRS Corvette on record. Shortly after our conversation, his Atomic Orange C6 rolled to the line and shattered that mark with a stunning 7.14. The record for an LS street car, regardless of the suspension or vehicle model, was 7.11—and it was definitely within reach.

The dense, cold air persisted, and Carlyle's Z06 continued to amaze, ripping a 7.11, a 7.10, and finally, on the last day, a 7.09/212-mph blast. The car launched hard and straight, and more significantly, it didn't drop a single part the whole weekend. It was a tremendous display. (Editor's note: Shortly after the LPE event, Carlyle's Z recorded a stunning 6.99/209, making it the first LS-powered car to run 6s on drag radials.)

Dave Michaels' performance was equally impressive in the hotly contested autocross competition. He piloted a late-model Grand Sport upfitted with a few ZR1 components—most notably the carbon brakes—along with a Thomson-built 442-cubic-inch LS7 that cranked out about 700 horsepower. The car literally screamed around the track, emitting a mechanical wail that was two parts NASCAR mixed with one part high-rpm Indy car. We've been following the build-up of the impressive, naturally aspirated powerhouse and will bring it to you soon.

Michaels also drove home with the Grand Champion trophy for the Optima portion of the event, as the multifaceted competition also included points for the car show, a cruise, and dragstrip e.t.'s, where the GS went as quick as 11.38 at 128 mph. There were other great stories from Corvette owners and racers at the track that weekend, some of which we've highlighted in the accompanying photos.

As inaugural events go, the Lingenfelter Performance Nationals set a benchmark that will be tough to beat. We hope to return for the 2013 running to see if those amazing performance feats can be eclipsed.

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One of our favorite cars was John Kundrat's restomod midyear roadster, which features a late-model-infused chassis and a nearly 500-horse LS1 engine. There were touches of all six generations throughout this well-detailed car, including the C6 wheels.

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Inaugural Lingenfelter Performance Nationals

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Mark Carlyle was the talk of the event, thanks to his stunning 7.09-second pass at 212 mph. Carlyle's Atomic Orange '07 Z06 still runs the factory-style IRS. Amazing.

The powerplant in Carlyle's Vette consists of a Dart billet block, All-Pro heads, an IPS twin-turbo system with Garrett GTX 55R turbos, and an external crank-trigger ignition system in place of the factory-style coil-on-plug system. The trans is an RPM Transmissions–prepped Turbo-400 that's been adapted to the Corvette's unorthodox transaxle arrangement.

The other big winner at the event was GM engineer Dave Michaels, who powered this Thomson Automotive–prepped GS to a win in the Optima Challenge qualifying competition. It runs a 700hp, 442-inch LS7 engine that will soon be the subject of a story within these pages.

Kimmy Barnhill runs the '62 Corvette her late father raced. The car has been in the family since 1974, although it sat for a number of years after his passing before Kimmy got it out and began competing regularly. It's gone 10.57 at 124 mph, running a 383 small-block and a Powerglide.

Another quick competitor through the cones was Wiseco Pistons employee Brian Nutter, who threw his black C5 Z06 around the autocross course with skill and purpose. He was aiming for another invite to the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge with his performance.

The unrestored look of this '57 Corvette caught our eye. It belongs to Corvette Conspiracy owner John Drahos, who took possession of it in 1974 after a customer dropped it off and never returned. It was originally Aztec Copper with a beige interior and beige top. It sat outside Drahos' shop for about 7 years before going into a barn for another 14.

The most interesting detail of Drahos' patina-perfect '57 is its modern, EFI interpretation of the old Rochester fuel-injection system. It also runs an optically triggered ignition system with individual coils, which replaces the conventional distributor and plug wires. Drahos has built a number of these combinations at his Cleveland shop.

This is a rare one: It's the first of seven wide-body C5 cars built by Lingenfelter. Dubbed “Project 255,” in reference to the street-legal speed record of the day, the car features a C5-R–based 427 with twin turbos, making 725 horsepower. It went 0-60 in 2.97 seconds and clocked a 9.36-second e.t. at 151 mph.

John Bateman's red Corvette was one of several C5 Z06s that ran hard on the autocross. Surprisingly, there were no C6 Z06s in the competition.

Not every car that went down the track was a dedicated race car. The open nature of the Lingenfelter event encouraged enthusiasts to try their hand at drag racing, even if their car was bone stock and they had no experience on the 'strip. It was a great way to get introduced to the sport.

One more C5 Z06 on the course, this one piloted by Carl Gentile. The lightwegith platform of the C5 model and a just-right balance of high-rpm horsepower makes an ideal competitor for autocross.

One of our favorite cars was John Kundrat's restomod midyear roadster, which features a late-model-infused chassis and a nearly 500-horse LS1 engine. There were touches of all six generations throughout this well-detailed car, including the C6 wheels.